Rolex Submariner Ref. 5508 - 'Small Crown' W/ 'Exclamation' Dial

The Rolex Submariner is a true icon — and the word "icon" does get thrown around an awful lot. If you were to ask ten people at random to draw you their idea of what a watch looks like, there is a significant chance that they would draw or describe something that looks like a Rolex Submariner. It’s the dive watch of reference, and good/bad/indifferent there is no escaping it. Throughout its 70-year production, there have been countless small changes made to the model, particularly in the first decade or so. 

The Reference 5508 is one of those short-lived iterations, produced for roughly 4 years in 1958-1962, and like virtually all Rolex Professional references from the early days, is coveted by collectors for its own reasons.

First, the 'Small Crown' as it's know, features a more svelte 37mm Oyster case than that of its 'Big Crown' siblings, and of course, all subsequent Submariners. This allows for a fantastic wearing experience that was lost after this reference went out of production. The Ref. 5508 would also be the last Submariner without crown guards. In fact, this particular example was likely sold next to very early Ref. 5512 and 5513s, which of course do feature a completely different case design.

Dating to circa 1962, this very late example hails from the last year of production and comes to us in strong overall condition. The 37mm case has been lightly previously polished, retaining thick, healthy lugs at all four corners and shows normal signs of wear throughout. The bezel and period correct 'Long-5' insert also shows wear wear from age that matches the case. Inside of the case, the glossy black 'gilt' dial has survived nicely over the years and presents beautifully. The glossy black surface remains rich and deep, showing only the faintest of wear throughout when viewed under a loupe and the luminous plots remain fully-intact. Given the particular age of this piece, the dial is also what is known as an 'Exclamation Point' dial for it's additional plot of lume beneath the 6 o'clock marker. This was Rolex' way of denoting the transition from Radium to Tritium in this era. It comes fitted to a slightly later C+I 'rivet' Oyster bracelet with a signed blade clasp.